Defense Against Preempts

I prepared Defense Against Preempts for a discussion group on this subject.  The group would talk about it and tell their rules.  We would next play hands, and might decide the requirements for competing are set either too low or too high for either point count, suit length, or suit quality.  We would repeat the process subsequent weeks.

A starting set of rules when neither is a passed hand:

1. Play an overcall to be a good opening bid, and to have the notrump values for an opening bid.  Five-card overcalls have to be allowed.
2. Play a takeout double to have opening bid values.  Cannot require four cards in each unbid major.
   • Play a minimum response at the 2-level for four cards and 0-8 suit points.
   • Over 2 and 2 use better minor lebensohl with a weak hands, unless clubs should be trumps.  Over 2 , 2NT is to play.
   • 3 has a wide range with a strong preference for clubs.
   • Other 3-level bids start at about 9 suit points.
3. Minimum notrump overcall is 15-18.  You might stretch a point either way.  No system on.  Over a 3-level preempt, 3NT is 15-up.
4. After a direct suit overcall, new suit by an unpassed hand is forcing.  After a notrump overcall, cue is only force.
5. Do not change minimum values for these bids in fourth seat.  If fourth seat is a passed hand then 2NT is for the minors. 

Tonight's bid 'em up's use the same formula as last week's deals.  We will start by handling them as a group rather than as pairs.  I note we could swap the East-West hands to double our misery.

Hand 1:

	J T x x		A K x x
	x		x x
	A K J x x		x x x x
	A K x		x x x
2	Dble	Pass	2
Pass	3	Pass	4

But

2	Dble	3	3
Pass	4

Hand 3

	K Q x
	A K
	A T 9 x x
	K J 9
2	?

20 points is too much for 2NT.  One jumped to 3NT.  I vote for double followed by a minimum notrump bid as this hand has tolerance for spades.

Hand 4:

	x x
	K T 9 x x
	x x
	K Q J x
2	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	?

I sat in as the 2 bidder and knew the deal.  An opportunity for the education of Evan was missed.  (Partner was 4=1=4=4 and probably should redouble.)  2NT is not acceptable as that is better minor lebensohl.

Hand 6:

	x x		A
	Q x		x x x x x
	A J T		K Q x x
	A Q J x x x		J 9 x
2	3	3	?

With 11 suit points at clubs, a simple raise was not enough.

Hand 9

	J x x x		A K x
	A Q x x		J x
	A x x		Q 9 x x
	x x		A x x x
2	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	?

Our guy passed.  3 is a second choice.  2NT is not an option.

Hand 10:

	Q x x		A K x x
	A J 8 x x x		K
	x		Q J x x
	K 9 x		J T x x
2	2	Pass	3NT

I would also overcall 2 as our gal did.  Advancer expects an opening bid.  We don't always deliver.  Swap East-West, and I think the 14-point hand would pass and then jump to 3NT.

Hand 16:

	A Q T x x		x x x x
	x x		x x
	K x x x x		A
	x		A Q J x x x
2	Pass	2	?

Our gal doubled, and that made getting to 4 easy.  That's my vote.  I would accept 3 .

Here is a table to fill.  Assume typical suits rather than extreme suits.  If you will do something different with extreme suits, check that box.  Here are a typical and two extreme 6-4 hands.

A Q x x x x	A K Q J x x	x x x x x x
K J x x	x x x x	A K Q J
K x	K x	K x
x	x	x

After a forcing notrump

Problem	Typical	Extreme
Your rebid with 4522.	.	.
1NT is doubled.  Your bid.	.	.
2 overcall.	.	.
2 overcall.	.	.
6 spades and 4 hearts.	.	.
6 major and 4 minor.	.	.
Opener shows 5-4 in majors.  You have 2 spades and 3 hearts.  Pass or bid 2 .	.	.
Opener shows 5-4.  You have 4 hearts and all points in minors.  Points for raise.	.	.
Opener shows 5-4.  You have 4 hearts and all points in majors.  Points for raise.	.	.
Length for 2 over 2 .	.	.
Length for 2 over 2 .	.	.
You have 5 clubs.  Points to raise to 3 .	.	.

Question:  If partner knows how to adjust for trump length, i.e.  he knows the proper suit count adjustment, does he have to tell us how many trumps he has?

Answer:  No.

Question:  That is contrary to conventional wisdom.  How do you prove your point?

Answer:  An invitational raise shows 9-10 suit points, and I would accept with:

A K 8 3 2
K 8
K J 9
7 6 4
1		Invite
?

The Senorita and Gib analyzed this hand several ways using (at least) 1008 responder hands for all experiments.  The remaining 39 cards were dealt.  If responder had three or more spades, 9-10 suit points, and two- or more cards in each side suit, the deal was accepted.  Gib calculated the double-dummy result.

The results depend on the number of trumps held by responder, with more trumps being slightly worse !!! The difference between three and four trumps is significant to a statistician.  Five trumps should be significant to all.  Responder hands with five or more trumps were not used except to demonstrate this point.

Deals That Make Game

Responder				Opener adjusted count
Number of	Side suits	Game%
3-4	Any length	50%	All 3 or 4 trump limit raises.	16
3	No shorts	55%	Three is better than four is better than five.
4	No shorts	51%
5 +	No shorts	40%
3-4	Short	80%	Rules increase opener's count by 2.	18
3-4	Short	23%	Decrease count by 1.	15
3-4	Short	29%	Decrease count by 2.	14

The bottom part of the table assumes responder codes his short suit as mini-splinter response.

Question:  I have five trumps and only single raised or jump raised.  The opposition bidding forces me to bid game to play the hand.  Cohen-Bergen say bid game.

Answer:  Okay, do it.  You don't have to go minus until they make you.

Question:  If I bid it slow, shouldn't they double.

Answer:  Yes.  Until this happens I am going walk hands.

Question:  You object to raises that show the number of trumps.  Is there a better way?

Answer:  Use mini-splinters.  The previous table shows you want to bid game when partner is short in clubs.  Help-suit game tries are another application of the same theme.

Question:  Clarify help suit.

Answer:

1		2
?

The bid of a new suit implies you are short in one of the other suits.  Partner revalues assuming another suit is short.

If you bid 3 , and partner still has the 5 suit points for a raise, he jumps to game.  If counting points in spades, clubs and one other suit gets to 5, he bids that suit.  Otherwise, he bids 3 .  To review, an ace in the short suit is worth three, and a king one.

If you bid 3 , you do the above for diamonds, hearts, and spades.

Question:  What do I do with a 5-4-2-2 pattern?

Answer:  A 5-4-2-2 pattern is not a help-suit hand.  Bid 3 to invite game, as points in all four suits are worthwhile.

Question:  What do I bid with a 5-4-1-3 pattern?  5-5-1-2? 

Answer:  Bid 3 in both cases.  You could fine tune things and bid 3 with 5-5-2-1.

Question:  I have heard of methods that mixes short-suit game tries and help-suit game tries.

Answer:  I taught the Senorita both methods.  Final contract is the same until opener has 6511 pattern.  That is almost a pattern you would clunk into game.

We learn partner is short in a specific suit in several ways. 

• Through a splinter or mini-splinter. 
• Through a long-suit (help suit) game try.  The implication in a long-suit try is shortness in one of the unbid suits. 
• The opponent's bidding and our length in their suit strongly suggests partner is short in their suit.  Be careful.  I have seen them overcall with four and raise with two. 
• Through an auction where partner bids three real suits.  (I can think of only a couple in our system.) 

There are times when we know partner is short in one of two possible suits.  These ideas can be used in "what if" evaluations for each of the suits.

Big Club Chapter 2 gives shorts known rules for revaluing when partner has a singleton or void in a suit.  To repeat: 

• Count honors in that suit ace = 3, king = 1, queen and jack = 0. 
• Add 2 points with three or more cards in the suit ..
• Subtact 1 point with a singleton or void. 
• If your value plus partner's minimum is 25, then bid a major-suit game. 

I test these rules for revaluing opposite a singleton or void.  The rules are not perfect.  I attribute this to

• Queens and jacks in live side suits are overvalued. 
• Kings in dead side suits are overvalued. 

A K 6 5 3

8 2

K Q 8

9 4 3

Responder shows short clubs.  Point gain is two.  46% games.  You would normally pass, and because 46% is less than 50%, you still should at matchpoints.  Accept at IMPs!

Partner mini-splinters in hearts on the next two hands.  My reaction is:  I don't care what the count rules are, or what Gib says to do.  I am going to bid 4 .  If you stop at three at matchpoints on either of deals and four makes, that is a zero.

A K 6 3 2

A K 8 7

7 2

3 2

Partner announces short hearts.  A solid 17 points reduces to 16 points.  46% games.  Senorita-Gib say do not bid game.  I looked at some of these deals.  The lack of honor cards in clubs and diamonds is punishing, and there are communication problems between the two hands.

A K Q 7 2

K Q J 6

J 8

9 7

Short hearts.  Started with 18 at spades.  The J-x is zero high cards.  Reduced to 15 points.  43% games.  The rules are right.

1		1
?

If we agreed that a minimum response was 7 notrump, then the second column applies.  (You can respond with 6, but I am playing you for 7.)  If your minimum response is less, stop reading.

Suit Count for Raise of Responder

Level	Suit Count	Methods
2-level	12-15	Raise
3-level	16-17	3 or a mini-splinter between 3 and 3 .  0, 1, or 2 mini-splinter suits.
4-level	18-19	4 or splinter between 3 and 4 .

Robinson states 18-19 for the jump raise.  What does he do with 16-17?  Many disappear in a 15-17 notrump, but opener may have a short suit.  If you 20-up and no short suit, then you opened with 2NT (2 ).

I expect responder to raise opener's major.  Law advocates say do not allow them to play there.  Given competition, what are your rules.

• If the entry is through a double (or 2NT), redouble (double) suggests a possible mistake on their part.
• If I, as opener, have a 5-3-3-2 hand, I will not be pushed to the 3-level.  With a six-card suit or as 5-5 hand, I will take the push.  With a 5-4 hand, I will consider taking the push.
• If I, as responder have four trumps, I will take the push.  With three, I will not (unless maybe I have a side six-card suit.